Unintended
by analogprotector
Summary: Danny Fenton is ready to rock the house and win a Battle of the Bands competition with his band, Frozen Ghosts. But when he meets Vlad Masters, president of a world-renown record company, he finds that he might want more than just a record deal. Punk!Danny, Pompous Pep AU
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! I haven't written a fic in a suuuuuuper long time, so bear with me as I get back into the swing of things!

This fic is going to be a Pompous Pep AU, so be prepared! I'm not sure how many chapters it'll be though… I guess we'll find out, right? C:

Inspiration for this fic came from an idea of punk!Danny that I had a while ago. I got a picture commissioned by zombie-bass on tumblr and she drew an amazing picture of exactly what I had in my mind, but I only just decided to write about it. I'll put the link to the picture on my profile so you guys can check it out!

Hope you guys like it! Please review so I can figure out whether I should write more or not! :)

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><p>Danny Fenton was about to tear his hair out.<p>

With a deep breath, he counted to ten but only made it to five before the clatter of a cymbal crashing to the ground reverberated in his ears. He cringed at the abrupt sound and ground his teeth together so not to ram his head into the wall. As tempting as the thought was, he still had a show to play, and Lord knows his band mates couldn't survive without him. Turning around slowly, he addressed the others with a glare.

"Is it physically impossible for you guys to not drop anything? Like, seriously. Is it a condition?" he asked, annoyance clear in his tone.

"Ouch, man!" Tucker replied picking up the discarded instrument from the wooden floor, "We're all nervous about the gig, it's not just you here!"

Sam sauntered over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "We're all trying our hardest to make tonight run perfectly, so don't worry, okay? Everything will turn out fine."

Danny sighed and gave a small, but grateful smile to his friend. He normally wasn't so rude to his friends, but tonight could be the gig that could make or break them. They were performing at a Battle of the Bands competition at a local concert venue named The Amity Slam. It was a hot, smoky, beat-up joint, but anyone hoping to make it somewhere in the music industry within the surrounding cities knew that it was the place to perform.

Danny scraped the sole of his converse against the rough floorboards in thought. If the rumors were true, the president of DALV Records would be attending the performance. The company was known for turning anyone signed to them into stars, so if the he liked them, they could be in the big leagues in no time.

But of course, everyone else was thinking the same thing.

"Move it, dipstick! _Real_ _talent_ is coming through!"

That familiar desire to bash his head in returned in full force.

"Hey, Ember. Good to see you too," Danny's voice dripped with sarcasm. Ember was talented, he'll give her that, but the pedals for her guitar always threw him off. Depending on whichever one she picked, it made the whole crowd go crazy and scream her name… It was kinda weird, to be honest.

"Good luck tonight, loser! You'll need it, considering you'll be up against not just me, but Skulker's beats and Nick – or _excuse me_, Technus, on the keyboard. We're gonna rock this house!" She stuck her tongue out and strummed in the air before strutting off with a laugh, heels clicking all the way. For a second, all was comfortably quiet as the rest of the bands shuffled around to prepare their sets…

…Until another cymbal crashed to the ground. Tucker stood over it guiltily, an apologetic _"oops"_ echoing after the clatter.

Danny raked his hands through his hair and groaned.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! Here's the second chapter of the fic! C: If you guys like it (or don't!), please review so I know how to make it better! Thaaaaaaaaaanks!

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><p>Vladimir Masters was about to tear his hair out.<p>

There was no way his assistants could be so incompetent, or so he thought. One would think that a man of his status could get someone capable of managing his (admittedly very busy) schedule, but such was not true. If only he could just make clones of himself… his life would be so much easier that way.

His three assistants, two young men and a woman, stood in the center of the spacious office, heads down like children being scolded for sneaking into the cookie jar. Vlad opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a soft _snick_. The soft hum of the computer's fan blended with the faint sound of traffic down below, creating a normally peaceful backdrop for his work. The tension in the room, however, soiled the normally serene vibe. He took long, slow strides across the hardwood floors before standing in front of the nervous workers.

"Now tell me," he asked, his tone eerily calm, "Which one of you manages my schedule?"

One of the men looked up, settled his gaze on Vlad's uncanny neutral expression, and began to blubber out an apology.

"I do, s-sir. But you see it wasn't my fau-!"

Vlad held up a hand to hush his protests. "None of that. If you cannot even take responsibility for your own shortcomings, you do not deserve to work for this company. I expect you to have your belongings packed before three o'clock today. As for you two," he addressed the remaining assistants, "The both of you will organize my schedule until I find someone qualified to do the task. You are dismissed."

The three – well, two at this point – workers scurried out of the room, allowing Vlad to settle into his quilted black leather desk chair and close his eyes. Thanks to his _previous_ schedule manager, the meeting he had later on was now cancelled, leaving the rest of his night free. He spun around slowly for a bit before settling his eyes on his open laptop. His email was already opened up, so why not check for anything new?

Emails about company newsletters remained unopened, as well as two emails from his imbecilic ex-friend from college. As he continued to scroll through, however, he noticed an email sent out to the whole company about a local Battle of the Bands contest.

Vlad stared at it for a moment and brushed the back of his fingers against the faint stubble already growing in. Where had he heard of the Amity Slam…? Ah yes, it was where he discovered the post-hardcore band Freakshow and the metal singer Pariah! And with this competition going on, he might be able to find some new talent… The last band DALV sponsored, the Guys in White, had turned out to be a bust. It seemed that boy bands had a few more years before they got popular again.

Vlad held down the intercom button and spoke to his desk assistant, Sarah. Thankfully, she was one of the few people here that he could actually trust to do something properly.

"Sarah, send a car to pick me up in twenty minutes. I'm leaving a bit early today," he said, reaching to close his laptop.

"Of course, sir. I'll send Edgar to be in the downstairs lot by four-thirty."

"Thank you, that would be perfect."

Vlad leaned back in the chair and relaxed. Oddly enough, he has a good feeling about tonight. He wasn't quite sure why, but he knew that he would find something special at the competition.

He smiled, slipped on a pair of headphones, and waited in peace for the night to begin.


	3. Chapter 3

BEFORE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE READ THIS NOTE!

Hey guys! This is kind of a long chapter, but I'm so excited about it! From here on out, the songs that are mentioned in the fic are actual songs. For example, Ember plays "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar. I will put the names and artists of all the songs listed down below after every chapter! It really helps to listen to the songs as you read to get the feel of how the music progresses with the story. Also, I feel like Frozen Ghosts would sound like the real-life band Muse, so all of their songs will pretty much be by them. When Danny grows up a bit and is out of his awkward teen phase, I imagine his voice will have matured enough to sound like Matt Bellamy's. If the story gets popular enough, I'll put up mixes of all the songs that are used on 8tracks or something.

Thank you for reading! Please review if you like it! :D

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><p>The dark room was buzzing with excitement. The Amity Slam was heating up – both literally and figuratively – and the dimmed lights created an easy environment to settle down in. Faint indie rock played over the crisp speakers. More and more people filtered into the already crowded venue until it got to the point where bouncers had to stop letting people in. The few tables and chairs in the very back were all occupied, as were the seats at the bar at the back wall.<p>

Vlad Masters sat comfortably leaned against the bar with an Old Fashioned in his right hand. The ice slowly melted in the glass, creating beads of water on the surface of the glass. The amber liquid made the droplets outside look like drops of honey against his palm. Vlad took a quick sip before checking the time on his watch.

'7:03… shouldn't they be start-' his train of thought was interrupted by a man running out on stage, skidding to a stop, and whipping the mic stand close to his wiry frame.

"Alright everybody! You guys ready to have a good time tonight?!" The man announced, his pompadour swinging with every sharp movement. Vlad watched with amusement at the man's antics and placed his glass back onto the bar. The background music began to fade as the announcer's eyes scanned the crowd.

"Our first band features a blue-haired babe on guitar and the mic, a beefy drummer boy, and a keyboard techno-master performing a cover of the classic song 'Love is a Battlefield' and an original called 'Future in my Hands'! Give it up for _Electric Hunt_!"

The three members took the stage and quickly got settled with their instruments. Ember slipped her silver guitar strap over her head and checked the tuning while Skulker twirled his sticks. Technus set up his two keyboards on the stand, one on top of the other, and chose the sounds he needed. The two looked to Ember to see when to start, and when she finally turned around to give them a nod of approval, they gave her an excited grin. She returned the expression if not more excitedly, turned back to the mic, and addressed the crowd.

"Hey everyone! We're Electric Hunt, and we're real excited to be up here! So get ready to rock!"

She turned around, yelled "1, 2, 3, 4!" and the crowd erupted into cheers.

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><p>Backstage, Danny shuffled from one foot to the other and tugged on the black plugs in his earlobes. The crowd was going crazy for Ember, screaming her name in between jumping and pushing against one another.<p>

"Tell me who you love!"

The audience burst into cheers of 'Ember!' and Danny felt his heart sink. How were they supposed to compete with that? Sure his band was good, but the crowd would be so pumped after Ember, they might not be so responsive to what _Frozen Ghosts_ had to offer. This could be their best chance of making it big in the music industry, and they could already be losing it! What if they couldn't stay in time together? What if the crowd started booing? What if-

"Danny… We're going to be awesome, okay? Don't be intimidated by her. We're going to kill it out there!" She rubbed his hair affectionately and Tucker punched him in the arm lightly.

"Yeah man, no worries, alright? We've got this in the bag!" Tucker said, reaching around to loop his arm around Danny's shoulders. Danny felt a surge of gratefulness for his friends and pulled them into a side hug.

"Thanks guys… I really appreciate it." He smiled and opened his mouth again, but was interrupted by Ember's shout of "Thanks for the love, babypops! Have a rockin' night!" She strutted off stage with a bounce in her step, her bandmates throwing up the sign of the horns to crowd and following closely behind. Once backstage, she high-fived her friends and squealed in excitement.

"We did it!" She practically vibrated with elation over their performance, "We were awesome! Good luck trying to follow that one, dipsticks! We're total shoe-ins for the trophy!" Ember lead her group further backstage to exit and chat with the audience.

Sam and Tucker looked over at his friend to see him as white as a ghost.

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><p>Vlad looked up at the bluenette on stage and the other two unmemorable fellows with her, vaguely impressed by her performance. She had talent, but it wasn't quite the spark he was looking for. He wanted something new, something fresh… something that could stand out from the massive crowd of pop-punk and alternative bands that had developed over the past few years.<p>

The audience seemed to really enjoy the music, but how long would that last before someone similar with more spunk took the stage and stole the spotlight away?

Vlad took the final sips of his drink and returned the glass to the worn countertop.

She bid the crowd a good night and sauntered off stage, admiring the confidence in her step. The audience settled down a bit, still loud, but not violent because of the lack of something to thrash to. A few moments later, the announcer returned to the stage to introduce the next band. The man moonwalked to the center of the stage and again yanked the mic stand over to himself.

"Alright, how'd you guys like that?! Remember, that was _Electric Hunt_, so if you like it make sure you submit your ballot to the official Amity Slam Battle of the Bands app at the end! The more votes, the better chance they have at taking home the trophy! But don't send them in quite yet, cause we've got a couple more bands in store for you guys… The next one up features a strapping, raven-haired young guitarist, a gothic gal on the drums, and a technogeek on the keyboard. Today they'll be performing two of their original songs 'Muscle Museum' and 'Follow Me', so welcome to the stage _Frozen Ghosts_!"

The trio made their way across the stage and plugged in their instruments. Sam twirled her purple sticks and made sure everything was in perfect reach for her while Tucker set up his two keyboards and double-checked the settings. Danny scooted the second mic over from Tucker's side, brought it to the front, and put it next to the main mic. He shoved the plug for the second mic into the guitar amp next to the plug for his actual guitar and cranked up the volume. Vlad squinted to see what exactly he was doing. Didn't he know to leave it plugged into the speaker it was in before? Why plug it into the guitar amp?

With a fluid motion, Danny slung his worn black leather guitar strap behind its neck and rolled his shoulders back. He attempted to glance out into the far back, but ended up squinting from the bright lights. After everything had been checked over, Danny looked back with a nervous grimace and had bright smiles and thumbs up returned to him. With a deep breath, he turned to the crowd and ended up bumping his nose into the mic.

The speakers squealed in protest and everyone, Danny included cringed at the sharp feedback. "Uh, hey everyone! We're Frozen Ghosts, and we hope you like our stuff!" he all but shouted at the end. Vlad smirked. The kid clearly had to work on his stage presence. Danny took another deep breath and shouted "1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4!" before the keyboard began to leak out a dripping, bassy synth followed by a steady drum and a nearly squeaky guitar on top.

Vlad looked up, interested in what he heard. This sound was different than what he'd been hearing for so long, and as the song was brought to the chorus, the underlying power beneath each note hit him like a wave. The song progressed until after the second chorus, the singer suddenly switched mics. He howled in the second mic plugged into the amp and Vlad's eyes widened with understanding. The idea was absolutely genius – something he'd never even thought of before. The young man had plugged the mic into the guitar amp to make his voice have the qualities of an electric guitar; the gritty noise imitated the instrument flawlessly¹.

The crowd was growing more and more wild with every screech he pounded into the mic until they were screaming and chanting so loudly, one could barely hear the ending piano notes. Danny whipped his head around to give his friends an excited smile which was returned full force. They had to wait a few moments for the crowd to settle down before they could start on their final song.

As the audience quieted Danny looked out from the stage and scanned the crowd before speaking.

"Alright, so we're all really excited that you guys enjoyed that song, but this next one has kind of a different feel… So be prepared, alright?!" He seemed to have gained more confidence as time passed, Vlad noted. At this point, he would sign them in an instant, but he wanted to see how this next song panned out.

A soft, ambient string sound resounded from one of the keyboards, Danny's voice following soon after. As his voice slid up and down to meet with the deep strings, the crowd became increasingly entranced. The plucky synths layered on top of the warm strings created a sense of subtle strength and foreboding, a strength further enforced with the introduction of the drums. The crowd shouted with every beat, and erupted into cheers as the bass dropped in the chorus.

Vlad found himself bobbing his head with the heavy beats and letting his eyes slip closed to absorb all the music pouring through the speakers. As he looked up at the singer's face nearing the end of the song, he could swear that despite the light in his eyes and the crowd separating them, the singer looked out directly at him.

Vlad knew, from that moment on, that they had some kind of connection. Something Vlad had never felt before, but was so strong, he could almost touch it, feel it throbbing between their two entities. He needed to sign that band, there was no question about that. But something about that singer… there was definitely something special about him, Vlad was certain of it.

The synths faded into nothingness, as did the guitar, and the crowd continued to wail in awe of the music they had just witnessed.

"Thank you so much everyone! Goodnight!" Danny managed to shout over the crowd's hollers and scurried backstage, hugging his friends and jumping with glee over the overwhelmingly positive reaction to their songs.

"We did it guys! You were right, we totally killed it!" Danny shouted as he and his friends struggled to catch their breath.

"We were amazing! There's no way we won't win!" Tucker breathed, wrapping his arms around his friends' shoulders. The trio grinned from ear to ear and took a minute to calm down before deciding to go out, meet some fans (perhaps it was cocky to think they had fans now, but they didn't care), and maybe even run into someone from a record label.

'Like Vlad Masters…' Danny thought. Having him backing up their band would be a one-way ticket to success, but the chances that he would actually be here (despite the rumors) were incredibly small.

After packing their instruments into their van and cleaning up a bit in the performer's bathroom, the three band members stood in front of the door to return to the audience area. With a deep breath and a collective smile, the three opened the door, excited for whatever awaited them on the other side.

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><p>Phew! 1,962 words later, and there we have it! This took a while to write, but I had so much fun doing it! I feel like there are some things I should edit, but if I notice any major errors, I'll fix it later on! Hopefully I can find a beta soon to make sure I'm all good, haha! As promised, here are the songs used in this chapter!<p>

Performed by _Electric Hunter_:

Pat Benatar – Love is a Battlefield

Aimee B – Future in my Hands

Performed by _Frozen Ghosts_:

Muse – Muscle Museum

Muse – Follow Me

¹ Matt Bellamy, the singer for Muse, actually does this! If you listen to the song, what sounds like a guitar starting at like 3:16, is actually him singing… When performing live, he has two microphones that he switches to when the part comes, just like Danny did.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Thank you for all of the lovely reviews so far, I truly appreciate it! It totally gives me even more incentive to write! C: I apologize for any mistakes you see right now… I'll fix it up tomorrow because right now it's 1:49 in the morning and I'm tired as shit. XD This is the chapter where Danny and Vlad officially meet… Hope you like it! :D

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><p>Tugging on his topmost button on his collared shirt, Vlad loosened the collar of his white button-down and rested a hand on his loose, light wash jeans, finally feeling the effects of the heat. It normally didn't bother him, but it was particularly warm in the room, considering all the people jumping around and slamming against one another. Vlad scanned the crowd through his scotch glass as he drained its contents, hoping to see the young singer who had so struck him on stage.<p>

"Another, sir?"

The bartender's voice interrupted his observing of the crowd. Vlad turned to face the scruffy looking man and replied with, "Yes, if you could, thanks."

As he began to mix the drink, Vlad looked back out and continued to let his eyes graze the crowd.

Tugging on the hem of his spiky denim vest, Danny wiped his sweaty palms once again on the worn fabric. He hated the heat, and his hands were clammy from nervousness, the hot lights, and the general heat of the Slam. It sank through his thin Dumpty Humpty t-shirt and his ripped black jeans and made the hair at the back of his neck cling to his skin. The humidity was nearly suffocating, and if Danny didn't have to go meet with potential record labels, he would be booking it outside into the cool, late-September air.

Sam looked over at him, her face still glowing with excitement. He brushed off his discomfort in favor of continuing to revel in their (hopefully) prize-winning performance. The three began to make their way over to the back, where they knew most of the potential signers would be watching. Danny strode up to the bar, signaling for the bartender to make his way over.

"Hey Dave! How's it going?" Danny asked, familiar with the man after performing here as many times as he has.

"Going great! You kids did great up there! I'd offer you a drink, but I'll only push the limit once you turn 20, alright? One more year!" he exclaimed, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Not a problem, old man! I was just gonna ask for my usual vanilla cola!" Danny returned with a laugh.

"Ah, alright, alright! So tell me Danny, what's the next step for Frozen Ghosts?"

From the other side of the counter, Vlad's head perked up and peered behind the other patrons to watch the interaction.

"Not sure… Gonna see if we can get signed sometime soon and try to make it big!"

"Ahhhhh, you crazy youth! Good luck, kiddo! And tell your friends I said that too!" he turned back to assist another customer. Danny turned around, and realized his friends had been energetically chirping to each other throughout his entire conversation with Dave. He took a step forward to meet them, but managed to collide with a tall figure in front of him. Danny reeled back a few steps and would have fallen back into the counter if it hadn't been for a hand reaching out to grab his arm.

"Whoa, thanks man! Sorry for bumping into you, you alright?" he questioned, looking up at the older man.

"Yes, I'm quite fine, thank you. Were you at all harmed?" Vlad replied, quickly scanning over the boy's form to check for injuries.

"No, I'm good. Thanks for grabbing me, though! I probably would've banged my head on the bar if you hadn't," Danny said, his cheeks turning lightly pink. He looked into the taller man's eyes, noticing something familiar about him. 'I think I might have seen him before… Maybe when I was performing?' he thought, vaguely remembering his dark blue eyes through the blindingly bright lights.

"It's not a problem," Vlad assured, releasing his hand from the gentle hold he had on the teen's arm, "You are the singer from Frozen Ghosts, correct?"

"Yeah, the name's Danny, and Sam and Tucker are over there! Did you enjoy the performance?" Danny asked hopefully, glancing over to his friends to get them to come over, but they were too absorbed in their own conversation to notice.

"Oh, most definitely. You three were spectacular up there. The technique with the guitar amp in the first song was particularly impressive, if I may so."

Danny's original minor flush had darkened a bit and expanded down to halfway across his neck and up to the shell of his ear. "Uh, thanks… It started out as an accident when we were practicing in my garage one day, but it turned out to have a really cool sound, so we just stuck with it."

"It's certainly a different sound from what I am used to hearing… Or even signing, for that matter," Vlad replied, knowing Danny would be instantly interested.

Danny's head shot up from its previously downward position and his eyes locked on to Vlad's in surprise.

"You're a talent scout? Oh wow, for which label?"

"Better than that, my boy. My name is Vlad Masters, I am-"

"The president for DALV Records?!" Danny blurted out, his eyes nearly bulging from the shock.

Vlad smirked in amusement, but let the expression slide into a more neutral countenance as his friends whipped their heads around to face him. The two scurried over, nearly tripping over each other in the process.

"You're Vlad Masters?! This is awesome!" Tucker nearly shouted, pumping his fist into the air.

"I am. And I truly enjoyed your performance tonight, as I was just telling Danny," Vlad responded coolly.

"Thank you so much! We love being up there and sharing what we've got with everyone." Sam exclaimed. It was almost strange how excited and energetic she was, considering her typically gothic demeanor, but nobody could really blame her; their dreams could be coming true.

"I could see that from out here. Have you three been signed to any labels yet?"

Danny's eyes were practically shining as he shook his head in the negative. "No, not yet… We haven't been given that opportunity."

"I couldn't imagine a company not signing you, my dear boy! This is, however, a perfect chance for me… Would you three be willing to work under my label? You, of course, don't have to decide right away, I know this must be a lot to take in-"

"We'll take it!" Tucker exclaimed, startling the group.

"Tucker!" Sam hissed in outrage, "We need to talk about this first! What about travelling and school and our families?!"

Vlad chuckled as he watched the two bicker. Danny merely rolled his eyes and sent Vlad an apologetic, if not slightly guilty, smile.

"If you would like, I could give you my business card and you can contact me when you are ready to make a decision," Vlad interjected, successfully breaking up the argument. Tucker and Sam turned to face him sheepishly and nodded in agreement.

"That'd be perfect, thanks," Danny said, accepting the card Vlad had tugged out from the back pocket of his jeans.

"Not a problem," Vlad replied, the smooth, rich timbre of his voice centering their attention, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should be taking my leave now. But before I go, I have to thank you again for your astounding performance tonight."

"We're so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you again for giving us this chance… We can't really express how much we appreciate it," Danny returned, gratefulness shining in his bright blue eyes.

Vlad started at him for perhaps a moment too long, wondering how someone could inject so much emotion into a single glance, before snapping himself out of it and offering a small smile in return. He raised his forearm and extended his palm to the boy.

"Shall we meet again?" Vlad questioned, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, definitely!" Danny replied, looking over to his friends to see them nod their heads in agreement. He grasped Vlad's hand and shook it, a winning grin spreading across his defined cheekbones. Vlad could feel himself smiling nearly as wide as the teen.

Danny broke it off and glanced back to his friends, who each gave him a quick handshake before glancing back at each other.

"Well, I'll be taking my leave. Do have a good night, you three," Vlad said, stepping back and giving a final wave before making his way to the exit door and out.

The three looked over at each other, still in awe over what just happened.

"We just got Vlad Masters' number. Vlad Masters wants to sign us," Tucker breathed numbly before snapping out of his trance and nearly shouting.

"Vlad Masters wants to sign us!" He all but shrieked, jolting Danny and Sam out of the stupor and igniting their spirits. The three were nearly vibrating with excitement.

As always, Sam was the voice of reason. "Guys, as pumped as I am, we can't just dive headfirst into this… We need to consider the details."

"Aw, come on, Sam! Live a little! Celebrate now, worry later!" Tucker moaned.

"Fine, fine. But we're definitely discussing this later!"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Tucker said, brushing off her doubts with a wave of his hand, "We'll do it tomorrow, when we don't still have a competition to win!"

Danny had nearly forgotten about the very reason they were here… They needed to win this competition!

The announcer strutted back to the stage, twirling the microphone in a circle with every step. While they were packing up and talking to Vlad, they had unknowingly missed the last two bands that performed.

"Alright everybody! You guys ready to send in your votes?!" The crowd cheered in assent, whipping out their phones and giving the whole crowd a white-blue glow from the screens.

"Now that's what I like to see! Now remember, pick your band and hit Submit! We'll be picking out the winners in just a minute!"

"Is it against the rules to vote for yourself?" Tucker asked his phone already out and on the page.

"I don't think so… go for it!" Sam replied, "But let's head backstage so we can get up there easily!" The three headed back through the performer's door and up the stairs to the backstage area.

"The polls are closing in 5…4…3…2…aaaaaaaaand 1! That's it! Now let's see who will take home the Battle of the Bands trophy and win five thousand dollars!"

"Five thousand?! Did he actually mean like, five hundred dollars? Or even a thousand? There's no way it could be that much!" Tucker sputtered in disbelief.

"All the votes are in! Do you wanna hear who won?!"The announcer crooned. The crowd screamed with anticipation.

"Aw, come on now! I know you can do better than that! Now tell me… Do you guys wanna hear who won?!" The announcer took mini pauses between each word for emphasis, and the crowd somehow cheered even louder than before.

"Whoa there, looks like someone's excited! Now, for the results!" The announcer narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the crowd.

"In fifth place is… Boxed In! As uh, interesting your song 'Beware!' was, it just couldn't win over the hearts of the crowd. Better luck next year, man!"A light mumble coursed through the crowd. No one had actually voted for him except for one person – himself.

"Okay, now… In fourth place are… the Guys in White! Sorry boys, but boy bands just haven't caught on again yet. Try again next year, because you've definitely got some talent, am I right?!"

The crowd roared once again.

"Now, this next place is when it starts to heat up! Whoever makes third place will be receiving five hundred dollars!" An "ooooh!" erupted from the audience in anticipation. "In third place is… Lucky 13! You guys were really great, just keep on trying and you'll make it big someday!" A scruffy looking teen with long hair and a punky girl with teased green hair stepped onto the stage and accepted the small trophy and check with smiles as they held hands. A collective "awwwww" echoed through the huge venue.

"Oh, how sweet! It just makes my heart melt right out of me!" He crooned, clutching the microphone to his chest. "But we're not done yet! We've still got two more to go!" The cheers began to sound once more.

Backstage, Danny gulped in nervousness. They were so close! But Ember's band was really good… The votes could really go either way.

"Second place is in for a treat tonight, because they'll be receiving one thousand dollars! How does that sound?!" The audience practically rumbled with excitement. "And the winner of second place is…"

"Hope you're ready to get up on stage next, dipstick! Cause we're about to win first-"

"Electric Hunt! Come on out and grab your prize!"

Ember practically deflated on the spot. Skulker and Technus seemed happy enough, but the singer looked like she was about to screech. The two boys had to grab her wrists and tug her onto the stage to snap her out of it.

"Look grateful!" Skulker growled underneath a smile. Ember plastered on a fake grin as she accepted the medium-sized trophy and check, lingering out there just long enough to not look like a sore loser.

Danny, Sam, and Tucker looked at the stage in disbelief. "Does this mean…?" Danny practically whispered, too shocked to even be excited.

"And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for… The winner of the biggest trophy and five thousand dollars goes to…"

Danny gulped, Tucker's teeth rattled, and Sam stood rigid in her spot.

"Frozen Ghosts!"

The crowd exploded into a cacophony of cheers, whistles, and screams, as did the trio backstage. They turned to each other with the widest grins they've ever had and ran on stage together hand in hand. Tucker grabbed the announcer's hand and shook it so hard, the poor man's entire arm waggled with the strain. The three hugged and held on to their trophy like it was the best thing that had ever happened to them – and in a way, the whole situation was. From meeting Vlad to winning the competition, this had to be the best night of all of their lives. After thoroughly soaking in the cheers, they ran backstage, not even noticing Ember's deadly glare or the wrinkled check Skulker was trying desperately to free from her iron grip.

"We did it! We actually did it, holy shit!" Sam exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear.

They had achieved what they once thought was impossible all in one day. They scurried outside and ran to the back of the venue to boast to their favorite bartender.

"Dave! Dave, did you see that?! We did it!" Danny shouted, gaining the attention of the older man.

"I saw you out there, ya did great! I knew you'd win! Congratulations kids, you deserve it!" He replied, joyful gleam in his eye.

"Congratulations to all the bands that played this evening! Have a good night everyone!"

A final cheer sounded from the audience before it dwindled into an excited chatter of people waiting to exit the building.

"Let's head home, I've gotta tell my parents all about tonight and mark this date in my computer's calendar!"

Both Sam and Danny rolled their eyes at his antics, but were smiling the whole time. The trio strode out of the Slam, stepping out into the cool air with prizes in hand. People loitering outside nodded their heads in acknowledgement or gave a quick cheer to them, which they took with broad smiles. The three walked around the building to the crowded parking lot, found their van and settled inside.

"Alright, so same as usual?" Tucker asked, sliding into the driver's seat with Sam in shotgun and Danny in the back, "Sam's first, then Danny?"

"Yep! Sounds good to me!" Sam replied, Danny just giving a nod in return.

"You alright, man? You're kinda quiet, for someone who just won the biggest Battle of the Bands competition in the area _and_ is gonna get signed with DALV Records!"

Danny smiled and looked up at his friend. "Yeah, I'm good! It's just a lot to process, you know? Once it really sinks in, I'll be good!"

"I get that! You'd better be good by tomorrow though, cause that's when we should call Mr. Masters back!"

"Yeah, you're probably right... But we still have a lot to talk about." Danny retorted.

"Even if we did take our time thinking about it, I doubt he'd change his mind. He really liked us!" Sam added, still in a chipper mood.

"True, true!" Tucker replied, Danny giving a hum in agreement.

The whole drive home, Danny kept thinking about Vlad – the record deal, the chance he would actually be there… the whole thing was still so surreal. But the one thing he couldn't get off his mind was his hands. The warm, muscular grip on his arm and the firm handshake… Why was that the only thing he could focus on?

As Sam and Tucker prattled on, the buildings flew by, and the other cars sped along, Danny daydreamed about warmth and music.

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><p>WHOA. 2,844 words! :OOO Sorry for the wait for this chapter, but college has been rough these past few weeks! I'm trying to schedule classes for the next semester, but it's both easy and difficult when you're a freshman… You might not get the classes you want, but you have much more time than the upperclassmen. But anyways, hope you guys liked it! Please review if you get the chance! :D See you next time!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! I'm so so so SOOOO sorry that this took so long to write! I got super stressed with school stuff and finals week and Christmas and it allllll just killed my writing mojo. :/ But I'm so happy I got the chance to sit down and write this chapter, cause I have LOTS of good stuff planned for the future. ;) I hope you guys like this chapter, and if you do, please review so I know how to improve! :DD

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><p>The drive home was normal for them. Tucker and Sam talked the whole time, and when she got out and walked up to her mansion, Tucker drove Danny back home.<p>

Or, at least, to where he thought was Danny's home.

Tucker always drops Danny off outside of the slightly shady motel close to Fenton Works, since that's where Danny's been telling him he's been staying ever since he left home when he was 17. In reality, however, he's been living in his used 2004 Toyota Rav4. It's not great, but it's not that bad either. His day jobs delivering Chinese food and occasionally fixing the motel's appliances help him pay for gas, food, and other supplies. Plus, since his high school bully-turned-buddy Dash owned a gym, he let Danny wash himself in the showers and his clothes using the private washer and dryer in the back. Sam and Tucker sometimes let him stay over when their parents would allow it, but Danny pretty much stayed in his car. Anything was better than his parent's house, that's for sure.

It wasn't that he hated his parents or anything… he was just kinda neutral about them. But that in itself was the problem. Children are supposed to love their parents and vice versa, but they just didn't have that sort of connection. Maddie and Jack practically loved their work more than they did each other, but it's because of that that fact that they gelled so well; since they both prioritized work above everything else, they understood each other and weren't offended or upset if something came up that kept them apart.

This mutual understanding, however, didn't apply to him and his sister Jazz. While their parents didn't outright ignore them or anything, they took little interest in their friends, troubles at school, et cetera. The two were often left to fend for themselves, building a strong bond with each other in place of a parental one. It was hard when Jazz left for college, but with the help of his Sam and Tucker, music, and a new focus on schoolwork, he was okay. Once she left, however, Danny realized that he just couldn't live there anymore. In that big house practically all alone, he felt like no one even noticed him, like he was a ghost or something. Two months after Jazz's departure, Danny got the forms to be emancipated, and without much fuss from his parents, met with a judge and moved out.

Jazz wasn't very surprised when she found out, and neither were his friends. Even his favorite high school teacher, Mr. Lancer was less than shocked about it. Danny had been telling him about his family situation, and he confessed to Danny that he was proud of him for not staying in a bad situation.

Danny smiled at the memory. Lancer had been the adult figure Danny always looked up to, so hearing that he was proud of him was a really big thing for him. The reverie was broken, however, by the car's gradual stop.

"Hey man, you sleeping? We're at the motel," Tucker spoke in hushed tones as he turned around to face me.

"Nah, I'm awake. Just thinking about what a crazy night this was," Danny replied, smiling at the thought and stretching his arms as far as he could before hitting the ceiling of the car, "Thanks for the ride home, Tuck."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow so we can figure out this Vlad stuff, alright?"

"You got it. See you tomorrow!" Danny said, opening the door and stepping out. He watched Tucker give a small wave before closing the door and made sure his friend drove around the corner before walking to his car.

The night was peaceful and quiet. Omnipresent puddles in the motel parking lot reflected the orange-yellow light from the old street lamp standing tall amongst the cracked concrete. A breeze ruffled the branches in the border of trees separating the lot from the forest before letting them settle once more. The air smelled crisp but was tainted only slightly by the scent of the dumpster nearby. Danny's Toyota sat undisturbed in the far edge of the lot opposite of the dumpsters.

As he approached the car, he was about to unlock it with the key's remote, but decided against it so not to break the silence with a resounding honk. Danny walked up to the driver's door, unlocked it, and hoisted himself onto the plushy black seat. With an exhale, he settled into the seat and allowed his eyes to drop closed for a minute.

What an incredible night… They met Vlad Masters, won the Battle of the Bands competition, and might even have a record deal! It seemed almost surreal, like it's all just some amazing dream. Speaking of dreams…

Danny forced himself to stay awake long enough to climb into the back of the car, throw on a pair of sweats, huddle under the flannel blankets, and plop his head onto the comfy pillow before letting himself slip into slumber.

_Karma Karma Karma Chameleon… You come and go, you come and-_

A groan resounded from the mass of blankets.

'Jeez, you say you like Culture Club once, and your friends change all of your ringtones (and alarms, apparently) to their songs,' Danny thought, trying to shake off the haze of sleep. What time was it anyways?

9 AM… He didn't have to start work until 4, and Sam and Tuck got out of class at 10. Danny rolled over for a few minutes more, not wanting to escape the warmth of the blankets, but eventually pushed himself up with a yawn. He sluggishly crawled to the front seat, smushing a pair of sunglasses to his face and finger-combing his hair to get out some of the knots. With a turn of the key, the car purred to life. Danny fiddled with the radio for the moment, eventually just throwing on his favorite Dumpty Humpty album and pulling out of the parking lot. If he was going to meet up with Vlad later, he had to look somewhat professional (or as professional as he was going to get).

Within a few minutes, he reached his destination, grabbed his backpack of supplies from the back, and hopped out of the car. '25 Hour Fitness' seemed to glare down at him from the top of the stone building. Danny walked up to the entrance, passing through the automatic doors and stopping to look up at the front desk. Dash was resting on the metal wrap-around desk, half-asleep and snoring like a baby. With a smirk, Danny reached for the chrome bell on the other side of the desk, gently placed it by Dash's ear…

and proceeded to ring the ever-loving _shit_ out of it.

Dash jolted into wakefulness and instinctually swatted at Danny's hand. Danny merely chuckled at his friend's sudden start and received a groggy glare in return.

"Mornin' sunshine! You look happy and ready to face the day!" Danny stated cheerfully. Dash continued to glare.

"You're awfully chipper," Dash grumbled and dragged a hand down his face, but straightened up in curiosity, "How did last night go, by the way?"

"Oh, it was whatever. Not a big deal or anything… besides the fact that we won and we might have record deal with DALV records!" Danny's nonchalant tone quickly bled into an excited one as he began to boast.

"Get the hell out, man! So what does this mean, you're going to make it big now?"

"I hope so! We're going to meet up with Vlad Masters today, so we're gonna see what happens… We could be famous, Dash!"

Dash reached forward and ruffled his hair while pulling him in for a one-armed hug. "You guys deserve this! You practice all the time and have to be some of the most talented people I know… I'm really happy for you guys," he finished, smiling genuinely.

"Thanks, man," Danny started, his sincere smile turning mischievous, "and if we happen to find any hot girls while we're on our tours, I'll be sure to hook you up."

"You know me too well, Fenturd!" Dash replied with a laugh.

Danny chuckled as he turned and made his way into the back to use the showers.

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><p>As the sunlight leaked through the thin white curtains, Vlad Masters laid peacefully in his bed. The muscles in his face had slackened, allowing his expression to slip from the usual focused almost-glare into that of ultimate relaxation. It was only in sleep that the dull tiredness that normally took residence in his joints completely vanished.<p>

A particularly persistent beam of sunlight pierced through the crack in between the two fine, silken curtains and onto Vlad's face. With a gentle sigh, his eyes fluttered open and he stretched in his bed, now awake from the light. His hands slowly traced lazy patterns onto the smooth sheets, letting his fingers roam the surface of the fabric, fabric the same color as the bordeaux wine he sipped on the night before while contemplating the evening's events.

_The soft blue glow emitting from the small laptop clung to Vlad's face, settling across his cheeks and furrowed brow, looking oddly natural in a strange, ethereal way. Vlad released a quick, angry sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had been staring at the same document for the past twenty minutes and had only managed to get through a paragraph and a half before his thoughts wandered elsewhere._

_Elsewhere, being of course, a certain band with a very talented guitarist._

_Vlad could already tell he was amazingly talented. All of them were, really. With a bit of help from himself and the company, Frozen Ghosts had the potential to make it big in the music industry. All they had to do was say yes and they would be on their way to fame and stardom. _

_He lifted his wine glass to his nose, capturing the scent, before taking an indulgent sip. He glanced at his laptop once more before deciding that he wasn't going to get any work done tonight at the rate he was going. He pushed the screen of his laptop down with his left hand and carried the glass of wine in his right before exiting the study and returning to his bedroom. Placing the glass down on his nightstand, he pulled back the covers and slid onto the comfortable mattress. As he sank back against the plush pillow, his thoughts, once again, strayed to Daniel – the cool blue eyes, so expressive and clear; the smooth skin above a lightly toned bicep; the gentle grip of his slightly cold hands…_

_And before he even realized it, he fell asleep to the thoughts of an autumn breeze and the most gorgeous blue he'd ever known._

* * *

><p>Stepping out of the shower, Danny wrapped a towel around his hips and fished out his clothes and supplies from his backpack. Within a few minutes, he was dried, dressed, and fussing with his hair. While he blow-dried his locks, he took a quick glance at the clock on the wall next to him.<p>

'10:08… Sam and Tuck should be out of class by now. I should probably call them and ask when to meet up for Vlad.'

With a few more brushes, his hair was styled in his usual choppy, side-swept bangs and he was ready to go. As he slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked past the front desk, he saw Dash asleep yet again, but decided to just leave him this time. He was just about to grab his phone from his back pocket to call his friends, but as soon as he put his hand on it, it started to vibrate.

**Call from… Sam **'Perfect timing.' He quickly flipped open his old phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Hey Sam! You guys out of class?"

"Yep! We just met up in the parking lot where Tucker's car is. You want us to pick you up and we can call Vlad in the car?" She replied, his old phone making her voice crackle.

"Yeah, sure. I'm at the gym, so do you want me to wait here or meet you guys somewhere?"

"We can pick you up, if you don't mind just hanging there till we get there," she said, her voice then taking a teasing tone, "And by the way, considering how often you go to the gym, shouldn't you be super buff by now?"

Danny gave a nervous chuckle. "Nah, I just do cardio! I don't really lift, though I probably should." He hated lying to his friends, but he couldn't let them know his real situation.

"Danny, you're fine, it was a joke! Tuck and I will be there in like, 10 minutes, okay?"

"Okay. I'll be hanging out outside of the place."

"Kay. See you soon," she responded, followed by a subtle click of a call being ended.

The phone returned to the screen it had been on the last time he had opened it. His inbox showed the lengthy group text Tucker and Sam had been talking in, but Danny hadn't really had the chance to look through it yet. They'll both be taking online classes, their families are okay with it (Sam's parents not as much, but that's to be expected), and they both figured that DALV would pay for any travelling expenses they may have. Danny didn't have any objections to what they said, since he wasn't in school and he didn't talk to his parents.

As he leaned up against his car, he flipped his phone open and shut in boredom. The 3-and-a-half year old device was old, scratched, and had duct tape covering the back to ensure the back cover wouldn't fall off. As he looked at it, he wondered how much longer it would last for. He was supposed to get a new one after two years, but since he left home and got his own phone plan, the company wouldn't allow him to get a newer model under his new contract without paying some ridiculous fee. Danny barely has enough money to pay for his current plan, let alone an entirely new device. Although with the money they all got from the competition, he should be able to buy a new one. Maybe even a smartphone…

A loud honk shocked him out of his daydream. Danny looked up and saw his friends waving at him from behind the window, smirking at his surprised expression. Danny gave a sheepish grin as he opened the back door and plopped himself down.

"What were you thinking about so hard, dude? You looked like you were thinking about _the meaning of life_ or something intense like that!" Tucker said, amused by his friend's reaction.

"I was just thinking about my phone… I think I should get a new one."

"FINALLY!" Tucker exclaimed, thrusting his hands towards the sky, "Praise be to the God of technology!"

Sam rolled her eyes, but Danny just laughed at his friend's antics. "Yeah, yeah, I know it's old! But I figured that with the money we got from the competition, I could get a smartphone."

"Aw yeah! Don't worry man, I'll let you know about the coolest droids on the mar-"

"Droid? Who said he wants a Droid? He would be perfectly happy with the sleek new iPhone!" Sam angrily interjected. Danny groaned, knowing what was about to happen.

"Perfectly happy? I seriously doubt that, considering that iPhone's batteries suck, but you can't change them out unlike most droids. Plus, you can't even change how many gigs you have to add music and stuff!"

"You can't even do Facetime on a Droid! And what about iTunes-"

"But the Galaxy s5 has-" "Camera has -" "Google Maps is way-" " Fingerprint sensor rather than-"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?!" The two whipped their heads back at Danny and gave an angry glare, determination clear in their eyes.

"How about we talk about this later over some burritos? Sam, you get a veggie one, Tucker, you get the double meat, and we all _calmly_ talk this over?" The statement lilted into a question once he realized their expressions were still that of extreme anger.

Sam went first. "Fine." She slumped down into her seat and ran a hair through her hair.

Tucker sat back in his seat and fiddled with his phone. "Yeah, that sounds good."

Danny breathed a sigh of relief, though it wasn't too big of an issue anyways. For the most part, when Sam and Tucker got into an argument, they ignored each other for the day and got over it by the next, usually even earlier than that. Except for the time when Sam tried to change the school menu… That didn't work out well at _all_.

"So… since we're all good, should we call Vlad now?" Sam and Tuck both turned back around to face me with a smile.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Sam exclaimed.

"Okay, lemme just get the number…" Danny palmed his back pocket for the card and pulled it out so Sam could put it into her phone.

"You guys ready?" She looked up at each of them, her nervous excitement spreading to the other two. Danny nodded his head and Tucker grinned wide.

And with that, she pressed 'call'.

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><p>The sound of shuffling papers and the scratch of a fountain pen were the only noises that penetrated the normal hum of Vlad's office. He signed each paper with his typical lavish signature, making sure to not miss anything. These papers were not the typical drivel he had to slap his name on just to get it off his desk; no, this was much more important. These were the papers that every aspiring artist would like to see someday.<p>

These were the papers that Frozen Ghosts would sign to take their first step to fame. The only problem was that they had yet to actually ca-

A peaceful guitar riff sounded from his cell on the coffee table in the middle of the office. He smiled in satisfaction, strode to the table, and picked up the phone after the second ring.

"Vlad Masters speaking."

"Hi, Mr. Masters! This is Sam, Danny, and Tucker from Frozen Ghosts… We just talked to you last night?" The young miss answered the phone, her tone exposing her anxiety about the current conversation.

"Of course, how could I forget? Have you made your decision?"

"Yes… We definitely want to go for it," she said, her voice nearly trembling.

"Excellent! When will you be able to come in to sign the papers and work out the details?"

"Uhh, Tucker and I are free Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after twelve, and Tuesdays and Thursdays after two. Danny has work at all different times, though…"

"Well, are you three free today? If not, I'm sure we can figure out a time, but the sooner the better when it comes to things like these." Vlad heard a rustling, along with a few whispers before a response came.

"We can do today at any time!"

"Wonderful. Would you be okay with coming in now?"

"Now?" Another pause, then, "Yeah, that's okay. Thank you!"

"You are most welcome. I will be seeing you shortly, then?"

"Well, we're on the other side of town, kinda by the mall, so it'll take like half an hour to get there. Is that still cool?"

"That's fine. Goodbye for now, then."

"Bye Mr. Masters!"

And with a grin, he paged his desk assistant and asked her to let in the members of Frozen Ghosts when they arrive.

He settled into his desk chair, rolled his shoulders back, and reviewed the paperwork once more.

'After all,' he thought, the grin spreading even further, 'I've got a new band to sign.'

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><p>I know this chapter was a little boring, but I needed to establish some things before moving on (things like Danny's backstory, his relationship with Dash, his current living situation, etc)! But anyways, thanks for reading! See you sooooooon :3<p> 


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